Kona Inn Banana Bread

"I buy bananas a week in advance so they'll be ripe and ready for when I make this stellar banana nut bread. It's sweet and moist and nearly a cake. I first tasted this at the Turners and up and bought the Fannie Farmer Baking Book so I could own the recipe and make it myself. If I bring this into the office and leave the plate in the kitchen, the next time I come back it usually looks as pictured above and is merely crumbs by the afternoon. I'm told, 'I've got this one down.' I've made it my practice to bake in a bundt pan and serve on a pretty colored plate."

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups granulated white sugar
2 cups ripe mashed bananas (about 6 bananas)
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup chopped walnuts

1) Preheat the oven to 350.

2) Grease 2 8x4x3-inch loaf pans, or as I prefer, one standard bundt pan.

3) Stir together the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.

4) In another larger bowl, mix together the shortening, sugar, mashed bananas, eggs and walnuts. Add the combined dry ingredients and stir only until the batter is thoroughly blended.

5) Pour into the prepared pans and bake 50-60 minutes (usually 60 minutes for bundt pan), or until a skewer or straw inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean, or with only a few moist crumbs.

6)Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on a rack and let cool completely.

Source: Fannie Farmer Baking Book recipe for Kona Inn Banana Bread